Multi-tasking and meta-cognition within a technology assisted course

Summary form only given as follows. This work-in progress presentation describes a pilot study exploring multi-tasking and meta-cognition used by male and female students and the professors in an introductory computer course. Current research literature focuses mainly on the academic achievement and student satisfaction with technology in the classroom and uses quantitative assessment of achievement and Likert-scale surveys of satisfaction. This research focuses instead on the multi-tasking that students and faculty are doing (or not doing) and the meta-cognition they are using (or not using) as they interact in a technology-assisted course. The study uses nonparticipant observation, faculty interviews, and course artifacts to collect the data. The study site is an introductory course in computing and computer science, taught within an urban, public institution with a large engineering college. The presentation describes the experience in more detail, focusing on the "lessons learned."